


2:30 EST on a Wednesday in July in the Cineplex at the Mall

by Invader_Sam



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Gen, Summer, ZADF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-06 05:41:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20286313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Invader_Sam/pseuds/Invader_Sam
Summary: In which a teen and an alien go to the movies.





	2:30 EST on a Wednesday in July in the Cineplex at the Mall

“I'm freezing!”

“I told you.”

“But it is sweltering outside!”

“They do that on purpose.”

“Why???”

“To compensate for all the body heat when the place is packed.”

“But we are the _only_ ones here!”

“I know.”

Zim let out a growl of frustration that dissolved into a whine, zipperlike teeth chattering. Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. As if the Earthanoids weren't pathetic enough, unable to control the planet's external climate, but to fail so horrendously at interior climate control was just embarrassing. Or at least, it _should_ have been, if the stupid meat sacks had any sense of shame at all. Seven years living among them had proven that _not_ to be the case.

He drew his legs up to his chest, wrapped his arms around them and then was almost lost as the hinged seat tipped backwards, wedging him between it and the scratchy cushioned back.

The teenaged boy seated to his right didn't even try to hide his snickering. Dib stretched his long arms out across the seat-backs, crossed his even longer legs at the ankle. “Shouldn't've turned down the booster seat.”

Zim pried himself free, face hot despite the over-air-conditioned room. “That's it. I'm leaving.”

“Oh, come on.” Dib hooked his fingers on the collar of his once-sworn-enemy's t-shirt. “You've wanted to see this for months.”

“Let go.”

“No.”

The diminutive alien swore in Irken, tried to get down from his seat again, begrudging Earthen clothing for being so easy to hold onto as Dib's grip held firm. If he'd been wearing his old uniform –

A shiver ran through him, but not from the cold. A familiar, mild current, sent from his PAK. A reminder that he wasn't following protocol.

That he wasn't in compliance with Irken Law.

That he was defective.

That he was alone.

His antennae twitched under his wig as he shook the thoughts from his head. 2:30 EST on a Wednesday in July in the Cineplex at the mall was hardly the place for them. If he had his way, there would be no place and no time for them, but he rarely got his way these days. He tugged against the human's hold again, only to find it was no longer there. One eye-ridge quirked, he turned to see the boy (less boy-like now, when he stopped to notice) rummaging through his backpack.

Dib pulled something from the bag. In the dim light of the pre-commercial commercials it was hard to make out but then he was depositing it in Zim's hands and it was soft and smelled like dryer sheets. The alien held it up.

It was a hoodie, child-size 'S', purple so deep it was almost black, with the words 'I HATE THIS' screen-printed across the chest. “Eh?”

“Just put it on, moron.” Dib lifted up the backpack and set it down on Zim's seat, up against the back so it stayed in the proper position. “And stop bitching about being cold.”

Instead, Zim just sat, running bare fingers over the fabric. “Did you buy–?”  
“Huh? Oh, geez, no. It was Gaz's. From ages ago.”

“Then why do you–?”

“I dunno...I just, I just saved a bunch of stuff.” Dib adjusted himself in his seat, eyes on the oversized screen, the corner of his mouth ticking upwards. “Her fashion choices in elementary skool are pretty much what yours are now.”

Zim opened his mouth to protest, but then cast a glance down at the black t-shirt and magenta skirt he'd put on that morning and shut it again, frowning. “I'm not saying 'thank you',” he muttered.

“Didn't ask you to.”

“I don't owe you anything.”

“Course you don't.”

There was a long moment where only sound of the advertisement for some new video game echoed off the theater walls, and then the alien spoke again. “You saved more garments?”

“Boxes full.” Dib nodded. When Zim didn't respond, he added, “We could go back to my house after this. You can look through it. Pick out what you like.”

There was a shuffling sound of fabric brushing against fabric and then Zim's head popped out through the collar of the hoodie. “Why didn't you procure snacks?”

“Who do you think you're talking to?” Dib's hand lifted off the back of Zim's seat and shook the backpack by the handle. “Help yourself.”

With a little chirrup of approval, the extraterrestrial twisted around and began digging around in the bags various pockets and pouches. “You know, you're not completely useless sometimes.”

The teen reached into the main section and pulled out a box of chocolate candies for himself. “You're welcome.”

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah.
> 
> I Entered the Florpus.
> 
> I have now reverted to my 10th grade self except that I think I'm a better writer now. At least I hope I am. ;)
> 
> Expect more of these little slice-of-life ZADF fics - especially if someone wants to comment/message with a suggestion!


End file.
